A variety of different software programs have been developed to assist managers and others in creating plans and monitoring progress on multiple projects. Generally these software programs are characterized either as “groupware” or “project management software” software packages. The groupware that is currently available is typically a collection of email, “To Do Lists,” and meeting planning tools with no core concept to organize these tools or make them cooperate with each other to accomplish a job. Current project management software is typically designed based on a project manager-centric concept, which means all authority for creating tasks, changing tasks, and so forth is controlled exclusively by the project manager.
However, for most jobs in the real world, it is very common that a departmental manager will develop an overall plan, and then assign some smaller part of the entire job to an assistant manager, and then the assistant manager will develop a detailed plan for just his assigned part of the job, and will conduct that part of the job. This means that most of the job is planned, organized, and coordinated by multiple participants, rather than all such work being accomplished by the departmental manager. For this reason, a project manager centric concept can not be adapted to most real-life jobs.
Thus, existing systems do not meet the needs of an environment where multiple projects within the organization are planned collaboratively.
What is needed, therefore, is an integrated system with organized tools to better plan and execute multiple projects by multiple participants.